Thoughts from someone who remembers when we respected our president and enjoyed the esteem of the world; when our airwaves weren't polluted by rancid, hate-filled diatribes of reckless talking heads; when our Senators and Representatives legislated first for the good of the nation and not special interest agendas; when religion was spiritual, not political; and, the rights of women were respected, not constantly under attack by political panderers. We can do better.

Friday, August 24, 2007

Cracks Appear In Iraq Support.....

The influential former chairman of the Armed Services Committee, Sen. John Warner (R-VA) "Calls for Pullouts By Winter," the first time he has named a date certain, and another telling break in the Bush ideological damming of rational policy in Iraq.

Warner's pivotal role of finger-in-the-dike support seems over, as he recommends beginning the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq by Christmas, undoubtedly prompted by his recent visit to Iraq and the bruising assessment by the just-released National Intelligence Estimate over the lack of political progress there.

Another leak in The Decider's "the generals are making the decisions" justification-bulwark appears as, "Gen. Pace may urge U. S. troop cut in Iraq: report." The retiring chairman of the military Joint Chiefs of Staff is expected to urge a cut U. S. troop levels in Iraq by almost half, contending keeping "more than 100,000 troops in Iraq through next year would severely strain the military."

The Decider did not nominate Pace for a second term as chairman, and he leaves his position at the end of September. Another case of killing the messenger like the other generals who pointed out an elephant in the war room.

With the ever shifting goals for Iraq.... liberation of Iraq became democracy with a unity government became the "surge" for stability.... in desperation, The Decider this week made the heretofore spurned connection between Iraq and Vietnam and the horrific consequences of our leave-taking. But, this desperate rhetoric is "Bush's Vietnam Blunder."

Rather than a rationale for continuing military involvement, "his words invite examination of the mounting damage that his approaches to the war in Iraq, and to national security in general are doing to U. S. institutions..."

As the Iraq policy dam continues to crumble, The Decider's supporters.... even Bush's brain Karl Rove.... are running for their political lives before they are swamped by the floods of accountability.

2 comments:

John Warner is a old school vanguard of the country club republican era of Gerald Ford before Republicans became the party of communist fighters, terrorist slayers and general protectors of the constitution.

All while the Democrats descended into "triangulators," bean counters and sausage makers.

Aaron, Strange you should say John McCain is influential... latest presidential polls show him in the single digits in popular support, and the only GOP presidential candidate still buying into the "surge" fairytale.

I guess you don't know much about John Warner, but he was the hawkish chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee when the GOP controlled things.... and we're not talking about pre-Gerald Ford era.

The party of "general protectors" have certainly gotten us into a fine mess, Ollie.....